


The wall looks better with you pinned to it

by SR_XX



Category: Shadowhunters, The Mortal Instruments
Genre: Bodygaurd!Alec, F/M, Fashioneditor!Magnus, M/M, Manager!Izzy, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-04-29 00:56:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14461623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SR_XX/pseuds/SR_XX
Summary: Magnus bane is the cocky and ever so handsome editor of Bane fashion magazine. He works along side Izzy Lightwood, the best manager he's had for a long time, and Ragnor Fell, his grumpy best friend and co editor.When someone starts open fire at one of his many businesses and leaves a note to the editor himself- his manager employs the best body guard she knows.Bane is not okay with it- until he sees him.





	1. Hazel and gold

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to update weekly but might be every other week.

Magnus Bane wore purple  
Actually no, when you wore purple, people didn't stare at you from their offices, drool practically falling from their chins.  
So no, the fashion designer didn't wear purple- he modelled purple, no sense of modesty in his swift walk down the long glass corridor. 

"Should've gone for the silver." Ragnor Fell hummed as his companies co-owner breezed into the main office two hours late. He had barely spared Bane a glance but he had several opinions on the silk shirt in a magenta so rich his accountant would be nervous looking at it. Magnus frowned.  
Izzy rolled her eyes, a gentle smirk gracing her lips- today painted a golden brown, "Magnus there's been enough silver to pay for even your wardrobe lately, it's boring, Ragnor, play nice, the gold makes him look important," she smirked and eyed up the long necklaces hanging around his bare chest, "and hot."   
She feigned horror at her own words, "whoops, did I say that?"  
Ragnor scoffed, eyes bright.   
The woman had only been working for Magnus for two years but she had already worked up to being his manager- even he admitted when he saw genius so when she had walked into the interview in a blood red body con dress and a baby pink leather jacket, he had almost hired her on the spot- only refraining to seem professional.   
Then he'd seen the sharp-enough-to-kill eyeliner and called off the rest of the interviews for the day.

By now Isabelle had seen him get his heart crushed more than once, get wasted on too many shots and naked at a strip club at Ragnor's bachelor party. The man trusted her, not something he did often.  
In fact in his entire world he only trusted four people:  
Ragnor Fell, Catarina Loss, Raphael Santiago and now, Isabelle Lightwood. 

"Everything is set up for tonight-" the woman hummed, interrupting Magnus' fascinating internal monologue and tapping almost absently on her tablet, sending a projection of a checklist up to the smart tv, "Summer launch party 2018 starts at seven thirty, you'll arrive at eight in a fashionably late way in an outfit I'm sure will take everyone's breath away."  
Magnus hummed in agreement, scrolling through his own tablet and piecing together an ensemble fit for- well, fit for a rich fashion editor in the who wanted to get laid.

A squeal shook the room and this time it was his turn to roll his eyes at the smile Izzy gave the space behind his head.  
"Sheldon," he sighed and turned around to face the man engaged to Isabelle.   
Ragnor used the opportunity to excuse himself, muttering something about finalisations and stupid interns and greens with yellow. Magnus ignored him, knowing it was a facade to have lunch with Caterina, his wife, at the hospital across the road.

"Before you go," The designer halted the pair, huffing when Simon and Izzy both pouted, "I invited Raphaels security team for the night but I understand you know him quite well. Will that be a problem?" 

Izzy smirked and elbowed Simon in the ribs in a vague manner,   
"No problem, we worked something out," she grinned, taking her fiancés hand and dragging him out of the office before they could be roped into anything else.

~o0o~

The day dragged on and eventually Magnus got to go home, he had a few hours before the event, so when he arrived back to his Brooklyn loft apartment to find the door open, he was unsurprised to find Raphael leaning against his kitchen island.   
He rolled his eyes, "Raphael, how are you?" 

Santiago glared at him and stood up straight, he followed the other man through to Magnus' bedroom and watched him sit at his vanity table.   
"I don't have all day Bane. I just came to confirm you'll have twenty of my people at your party and they all know about the ice bitch." Raphael shrugged.

"Ah yes, how is Camille?" Magnus replied monotonously, wiping the makeup from his eyes and mouth, moving to his closet and picking up a scandalous sheer top he would be wearing.   
Camille Belcourte, or the ice bitch to his friends, was a prima-donna who never made it as an actress so bought a lot of companies whilst she still had money to do so. Unfortunately for Raphael, one of those was his security company. He was payed to protect and at the time she had bought company, Magnus had been wound so tight around her pinky finger he had been surprised she could still grasp the knife plunged through his own back, until Raphael was protecting him himself.   
Or in other words, Magnus hadn't seen how manipulative and abusive she had been until he found her in bed with another man and still ended up the one apologising. 

"Still an evil witch," Raphael sighed, shaking his head. 

"Diòs Bane, what did you see in her?" he laughed, walking out of the bedroom and grabbing a glass of wine from the counter, finished it in one gulp.

Magnus smiled lopsidedly, padding out after him.   
"So how are Izzy and Simon?" The designer winked at the man he had practically raised, "I hear you worked something out, whatever that means."   
Magnus was very aware that his friend was polyamorus and also didn't give a fuck, if that's what he needed so be it. Who was Magnus to judge?

Raphael however, apparently did care, he choked on his drink before slamming the glass down and storming out, hissing under his breath about "manners" and "privacy" as he kicked the front door shut behind him.

The man returned to his room and shrugged at the small cat, curled peacefully on his bed and pulled on a pair of tight leather trousers.   
"Too much?" he asked the Chairman, raising an eyebrow.   
The cat hissed, as if offended by the notion.  
Magnus agreed and pulled the sheer black top on, leaving his chest and back entirely exposed. He walked back to the closet, picking up an emerald green top with gold gilding on the cuffs and v-neck, that would expose well past his navel and a sapphire blue suit jacket that hung loose around his body but slightly more fitted on his arms, the sleeves rolled up and a gold rose pattern trailing across his shoulders.  
He offered the two choices to his cat, who butted his head against the hand holding the blue. The man shrugged it on  
Shedding that days necklaces and rings, he instead replaced them with brown and black leather corded necklaces and bracelets, silver rings pressing into the caramel skin on his fingers.  
Sitting back at his mirror, he placed orange and gold glitter on his eyelids, under a pointed black liner of course.

~o0o~

To say the party was crowded would be an understatement, they had booked pandemonium (one of Magnus' own many business investments that had lead to his not so small fortunes) for the night and the club must have had three hundred people in it. He was right at home.   
Catarina Loss was pointing at different celebrities from his right, in the vip section where Magnus had been greeting people all night, who had attended and gushing about them to Ragnor who simply watched her, slightly amused.   
Every so often Magnus would catch a glimpse of some pretty thing dressed to impress and wandering.  
God he wanted to go home with someone tonight.   
Except it was more than that- he wanted to go with someone and fuck them stupid but he wanted to make them waffles and watch as they soon realised he couldn't cook for shit. He wanted what Cat and Ragnor had, Hell- even Simon from IT had Izzy.

A flash of something caught his eyes then a stumbling red thing dropped into his lap.  
"Gnus!" the voice slurred cheerily, grinning up at him with glazed green eyes.  
"Biscuit," Magnus snickered in return, standing, taking Clary Fray with him. "Where's that blonde troublemaker I sent out there to keep you sober, hm?"  He laughed. 

Clary Fray had been like a baby sister to him since he was seventeen, barely emancipated from his father, living in his first flat. She had noticed him and the whole family had seemingly taken him in, so as repayment and because she was damn good, the business partners had decided to put her in charge of the graphic design department in Bane & co Magazine

"Drunk," She grinned sloppily at him and gestured a few meters in front of them, down on the lower floor where sure enough Jace wayland, Clary's boyfriend of two months was being held up by some sort of God.  
Magnus did a double take, almost dropping Clarissa, who he was sure had passed out, considering just how hard she was leaning on him.

"Who are you?" The man with golden eyes muttered outloud, just as Isabelle sauntered past in a copper dress and mauve lipstick Raphael stood behind her, a very clear "fuck-off" expression on his face. He could almost hear her smirk as she leaned in and whispered,   
"I see you've noticed my brother, Alec." 

Magnus stood staring, eyes flitting between Izzy and Alexander, or so he presumed that's what his full name was. He liked it, strong name for an obviously strong man, obviously strong because currently the oh so prominent muscles under that black shirt that hugged him in all the right places, were rippling as he carried Jace up the stairs towards where he had spotted Clary and his sister. 

"Hey Alec," Simon grinned at him, thankful someone new was here to break the silence and tension. Magnus didn't miss the fingers Raphael had tucked through the belt loop of the head of the IT departments trousers.  
 "Another one for the drunk bus? I only have one space left if Jace needs a lift." He laughed, nodding at the blond, wrapped around Alec like a panda. "Iz, Raph, me, Clary, and now captain America here."  
Alec nodded and untangled the blond from around waist and shoulders.  
"Head home Si, you and Iz volunteered and I'm on the clock till four." Alec hummed in a decisive way that made Magnus want to listen.   
That voice, not what Magnus was expecting but definitely something he could get used to. The man stepped forwards once the drunk blond had removed himself and stepped forwards to hug Isabelle. 

"Its nice to meet you Alexander," Magnus smiled, offering out a hand, "I'm Magnus Bane."  
The man stiffened as if he hadn't realised Magnus had been there at all but took his hand slowly, "Alec- I mean- I know you know my name but no one calls me Alexan-"   
Izzy stepped in, "I'll see you at work on Monday Magnus, and I'll see you tomorrow you goof." She laughed and pulled Alec down for a swift hug before dragging her husband to be, boyfriend and two drunks out of the club.

As if Magnus had needed a reminder he was tall, the man straightened up, posture stiffening once again, God he could climb this boy like a tree. "I should uh- I shou- ill get back to work." he stuttered and rubbed the nape of his neck, something Bane found uncharacteristically charming. 

"Work? Oh no darling, I won't have that. No one as handsome as you will be working at one of my parties."   
A snicker from his right from Ragnor meant he was being just as unsubtle as he had wanted.   
"Stay, have a drink, I'll make sure Rapha let's you stay around."

Alec frowned and Magnus absently reached up and smoothed a thumb down the creases between his eyebrows- woah, okay, maybe too many cocktails- not that he minded being so close to the other man.  
"I have to work," Alec nodded firmly. He swallowed as he looked Magnus over, not stepping back.

"A shame, i can think of a few things you could do that would be much more fun," Magnus smirked, licking his lips slowly, meeting the hazel of Alexander's eyes.  
The funny thing was, Alexander didn't look away like Magnus expected him to. Instead, his eyes darkened and he mirrored Magnus by wetting his bottom lip.  
"I get off at four, meet me in the alley."   
Then a car backfired and Alec was pushing him to the floor, yelling in that deliciously gruff voice for the others to do the same.

Then he was gone, or no- just his weight was. And the car had finally stopped making that sound.  
Something suddenly seemed to register in Magnus' mind- that was a gun and he was wet. There was a lot of noise, not silent like its always shown to be on tv, screaming and music that hadn't been stopped.  
Footsteps were coming back now, heavy against the floor that the editor was still plastered to.  
He was wet, weird.  
The floor wasn't particularly damp but then he heard Ragnor yelling by his side and felt feather light fingers, "Cat?" he croaked out with a laugh, lift his shirt up and tear his trousers open at the outside seem.  
And then there was a pain, like nothing he'd ever felt before, rocking through him. All the way from his thigh to his toes. He went to scream but his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out- but not before two strong arms were lifting him into the air.


	2. Silver and pink

The silver crutches clacked against the tiles of the corridor.  
 The designer came into work, much to practically everyone's distaste, for finalisation every single week since he had been told to stay home and recover for a month or two. He was only two weeks in.

Apparently the bullet had hit a vein or nerve or something mildly important in his knee and fucked it up. He would need physical therapy, much to Ragnors displeasure, the designer had informed his friends of this with the phrase "I'm going to KNEEd physical therapKNEE."   
The morphine had been to blame for that decision.  
When it had worn off slightly, he had been disappointed to find that Alexander was nowhere to be seen. He accepted it though, because Alexander was probably just as drunk as the rest of the them and would have regretted Magnus in the morning- or so he told himself; no matter how strongly that nagging part in the back of his brain disagreed.

 Something in the drugs must have made him overly honest as he chose that day to turn to the random nurse come to check him over or something and mention what a shame it was because "That pretty boy would have looked so much better pinned to the wall."

He had however decided against the flashy outfits for a while, especially after the chairman had been witness to him plummeting out of bed and onto the floor trying to simply pull on a pair of silk boxers. Instead opting for low slung, grey sweatpants and a white t shirt.

Izzy was sat cross legged on the sofa, reading a magazine when he entered his office, Ragnor perched on his desk. They both glared at him as he pushed the door open and limped over to his red leather chair.

"Designer and editor Magnus Bane targeted at his own club." Ragnor read out from his phone, Izzy raised an eyebrow and held out a matching article in the magazine she was perusing.

"We're lucky no one is dead." His manager sighed and stood up, uncrumpling her dress. Today it was navy blue and black with a grey blazer thrown over it, her hair drawn back into a ponytail. 

"We're lucky you're not dead." A voice hissed behind him and he turned to the doorway.

"You can't blame yourself, sweet boy," Magnus rolled the short distance to the plate glass door and took Raphael's hand in his own. the man opened his mouth to object but Magnus glared at him, "I practically raised you Raphael. Don't lie to me."

It was true, Bane had taken care of Santiago since he had found the orphan at seven years old- he himself only nineteen. The kid had moved in with him at ten. It would have been sooner but Magnus had had to prove he was perfectly capable of doing what was right by the child. They had never seen it as a parent child relationship however, Magnus had always been the older brother with the cool condom flavours and the practical advice when the kid freaked out because the "condom flavours weren't cool" and "sex wasn't cool" and "why didn't i like it Magnus?"

Raphael didn't verbally respond but they all noticed the slight incline of his head and the jerk of his eyes down and up again.   
Magnus would bet that the only reason everyone in the room knew he accepted what the designer said as truth was because they were all in Raphael's own circle of trust, him, Izzy and Ragnor.

Wow, Raphael's circle of trust was bigger than his; Bane, Izzy, Simon, Ragnor, Cat, Lily. That put things in perspective.   
Lily Chen was Santiago's second in command and a total badass- even if she was cold and bitchy at times. So was Raphael.

"Speaking of sweet things," he glanced between Izzy and his adopted baby brother. "I need my manager this lunch hour I'm afraid." Magnus shrugged and rolled back to his desk, flipping through the mock up of the weeks hardwork, he also grabbed a pen and post it notes. 

After a few seconds of Ragnor and Izzy giving each other uncharacteristically nervous looks, Magnus rolled his eyes and stood up, leaning heavily on the crutches the hospital had given him when he insisted on going back to work.    
He glanced over his shoulder and Raphael was still there, just now he was leaning against the white frame of the door with an eyebrow raised.   
"Díos mio Izzy, you still haven't told him?" The man exclaimed, "we got you a bodyguard, Bane." Raphael rolled his eyes before flumping down on the brilliant red couch meant for more relaxed meetings.

Magnus let out a relenting sigh but nodded, "I was going to do it myself." 

At that Ragnor- who had been trying to convince Bane to hire one since the ice bitch hired thugs to attack him a while back- scoffed and stormed out of the room. Magnus knew he was happy. 

"So who are they? When do I meet them?"  The editor wasn't sexist- as long as he didn't get shot again- he didn't care who was fighting for him.

"That would be me," a low, familiar, warm voice chimed in, "and now." 

Magnus spun around in his chair, a wicked grin on his face.   
"Alexander!" he purred, "I've been so worried," the man winked.

However his smile faltered slightly at the bandage winding all the way down the gorgeous mans arm. No need to ask where he got that- apparently, his new bodygaurd had talked the shooter down himself before tackling him to the ground until the police arrived. That's when he had come back to Magnus and carried him to an ambulance.

Alec blushed and good Lord that was a glorious shade of pink, "Um yeah, Izzy mentioned tha- well she said you got banged up pretty bad, hurt I mean. Yeah." He stuttered out and Magnus quirked his eyebrow at just how adorable the 6'2" beast of a man was when reduced to a blubbering mess.   
Unfortunately, it only made Magnus want him to turn into a blubbering mess for him in other scenarios. 

As if reading his thoughts, the light pink on Alec's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. 

Managing to regain some semblance of composure, Alec licked his lips and God did Magnus want to stand up and kiss him but A. Alec didn't like him, hell- Alec didn't know him. And B. his leg was throbbing, he had forgotten his painkiller that morning and he could really do with a nap but alas- he had insisted on coming back early. 

God knew he was too prideful to admit he was wrong.

"I'm your bodyguard." He sighed, as if trying to prove something to himself rather than tell Magnus his job description. 

Probably wishful thinking though. 

However, when he excused Izzy and Raphael for lunch, leaving him with just Alec as his family called him, things did not get better for Magnus. He was pretty sure he could fall in love with Alec and his obscure book reference and strange ability as an archer if he let himself. So when he took a swig from his sparkling water and he heard a soft groan from the man who seemed to be having trouble tearing his eyes away from Magnus wrapping his lips around the bottle, he smirked and decided to put on a show.

Or maybe not wishful thinking, but poor timing.


	3. Purple and Scarlet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know how late this is!!! Exams have suddenly caught up with me! I'll get you up a second chapter this weekend as well. Promise.

Alec decided to spend the rest of the week with Magnus in the office before sitting down and sorting out some form of system, he said he was getting the lay of the land.

The editor was exhausted and his leg was now in so much pain that while Raphael and Izzy were out and Ragnor gone to check on his interns- Magnus had been staring down at the issue blankly.  
The pain was blacking out his vision really, he couldn't see or hear, ears filled with white noise.

 

He could feel the pain through his entire body, and suddenly he was back on the floor of the club, Magnus didn't remember that much of the night,

He remembered praying though; praying Caterina and the little peanut she was carrying weren't hurt, praying Izzy and her family had already left, praying Ragnor had hid.

Magnus had prayed. 

He wasnt a religious man. In fact he was quite the opposite, he had good reason to believe there wasn't anyone who would alleviate his pain or mistrust. For some reason it seemed common among people who had naively followed their stepfathers to a creek where they had been drowned until believed dead.

That wasn't to say he was against religion; he had taken Raphael to church whenever the boy had wanted to go and he agreed to be Caterina and Ragnor's peanut's godfather.  
Actually, he admired religion. Magnus had watched it pull Raphael from the depths of a very dark place and for that he did have reason to thank whatever God or entity was up there.

 

He looked up from the issue when a hand rested on his forearm and someone crouched in front of his chair, now spun to the side.

"Magnus," Ragnor sighed and brushed a tear from the other mans cheek.   
"Come on old friend, let's have a drink tonight." He smiled softly and Magnus laughed, agreeing with a nod and blinking away stray water droplets.

The editor straightened up and looked around the room. Izzy and Alec were sat on the plush sofas, muttering to each other.   
Every so often Alec would glance over at Magnus, he caught the taller mans eyes. Alexander threw him a small smile, Magnus returned the favour with a wink. 

The man nudged his younger sister who looked over and grinned. She sashayed over, hair swishing around her shoulders and down her back. The manager held out a small orange bottle.

The man rolled his eyes but thanked her and took three, much to everyone's disapproval. It hurt however and Magnus Bane wasn't one of lives little soldiers, even if this was the first time in eight days he had taken the drug.

Magnus swallowed. 

Ragnor stood up and patted his shoulder before moving round to sit in a second high backed leather chair, this one in purple.

"Alec seems to be your hero as of late." He said it flatly but Magnus could practically hear the raised eyebrow, "first saving you from gunfire and now-"  
He glanced around the office and smiled, as did Magnus. 

"Making sure you were with the right people at the right time." Caterina finished from the doorway, shaking her head at the state of her boys. 

"Cat!" Magnus grinned and leapt up, only to fall to the ground with a cry.  
He pouted and pulled himself up onto his crutches, "how are you? And how's my little peanut?" The man grinned and pushed the woman into his chair slowly.

She however, completely ignored Magnus, handing him an ultra sound picture and nodded at Ragnor, gesturing to Alec.  
When she got a nod of confirmation from her husband she smirked.

"Angel, come here." Caterina grinned at the dark haired man with beautiful hazel eyes from across the office. She said it, mockery dripping from each word.   
"I'm Caterina Loss, you saved my best friend, and for that I'm grateful." She laughed softly and extended a hand to him.

Izzy pulled Alec over and excused herself, she had to readjust Magnus' schedule since he was back early and the task promised itself to be a nightmare. 

Alec smiled nervously and shook her hand, "I'm Alec."  
He frowned as the nickname seemed to catch up with him. He blushed and rubbed the nape of his neck,  
"It's just my job." The man shrugged.

"You just keep doing a good job," she said, more softly than was in her nature.

Caterina rolled her eyes and her and Ragnor had one of their silent conversations before excusing themselves to go to a doctors appointment. 

Once again Alec was alone with Magnus. 

"You should sit," The editor grinned and winked at him, "Angel."   
The editor licked his lips and leaned back from where he'd sat down again in his own scarlet leather chair. He winced and rubbed his leg.

Alec laughed softly and looked Magnus up and down before sitting and grabbing a bottle of water from the desk. 

"And you should take your meds," Alexander furrowed his brow and took a long sip from the bottle, "more often anyway." He raised an eyebrow before Magnus could interject, forcing him to resign.

"You do know how to make a man feel special, don't you Alec." Magnus sighed outloud and met Alec's eyes with his own golden yellow ones.

"If they'll let me," Alec's tongue flicked across his bottom lip and he raised his eyebrow in a question, Magnus slid a card across the desk.

"Call me," Magnus grinned, getting up on his crutches and hopping to his door, going to find Raphael. He turned back to face him one more time. 

"Angel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I suck. Be mad in the comment, love ya. <3


	4. Copper and blue

Magnus was fiddling.

"Stop that," Raphael hissed and smacked the editors hand away from his phone which he had been flipping over and over on the table. 

Tessa looked over at them from where she was presenting something or other at the front and rolled her eyes, amused. 

Izzy was at home taking care of a sick Simon so basically the business was falling apart. Everyone was sent home except for Raphael, Magnus and Tessa who had to present a fall design line that Magnus would  normally be drooling over.

Except he was distracted.

After the editor had gone to find his adopted brother, he had had to leave- promptly.   
It seemed Cat and Ragnor's little bundle of joy was determined to make an entrance so Caterina had been out on bed rest. And since neither Magnus, Raphael, Izzy, Simon, Clary, Tessa, Jem, Will, or even Caterina herself could stand Ragnors constant worrying, Magnus and Jem had decided that he could take paternity leave a few months early.

Anyway, all of this meant Magnus hadn't been back to the office in the past three days and Izzy had gone ahead to organise when he would need Alec: she had decided all public appearances at his clubs and parties, any meetings for a while and he would be available at the drop of a hat. 

Of course the company was paying him handsomely.

After this meeting he was due to meet a client at a small, cozy restaurant he had bought a few years back downtown, Alexander would be joining him. 

He was going to meet a small art startup that wanted to propose a few cover pieces although Magnus suspected they just wanted to start contacting the big fish. The Dior didn't mind this though, he himself remembered being a small blog that maybe a few hundred people would see monthly. It was only when he had started circulating his contact information among brands like Vogue and Elle and Gucci that Bane itself had taken off.

Vogue had hosted his first big shoot, he had done a lingerie double spread.

The shoot had held almost a pin up style. He had used a male model sat side on, on a work table rather demurely wearing a pair of black lace "booty" shorts. The man had been looking fondly at a woman wearing a black leather jacket and jean shorts with a royal purple lace bra in the same style as the shorts.

God knows why, but people had simply become obsessed with it.  
The models, Elias and Tessa had followed him over to his own company soon after, Elias had no interest in being any more than a model but Tessa- she was a genius and Ragnor prided himself on finding it. Her and another old model, Will Herondale even managed an insert called the Spiral Labyrinth, it had been a secondary source of income and Magnus had tried to convince to move off on their own for a long time but they insisted on being a part of Warlock industries.

The point was Magnus would hopefully, go to this meeting, give them contact information and then steel away to his loft with Alexander, wrangle a date out of him.

A few hours later he had arrived at the place and was waiting for both his meeting and his security, then, a rather frazzled Alec burst through the door. He blushed furiously at the attention it drew and ducked his head. He wandered over to Magnus' table and coughed to get his attention.  
The man looked up from his phone, where he was reading through the soft messages and gentle flirting on the screen between him and Alec, and smiled.

Alec couldn't help but glance at the screen and smile softly himself but then he snapped back to attention.   
"We have to go, that startup company you were meeting? Told the press you would be here and are about to call you, "cancelling" the meeting so you walk out and straight into them." 

Magnus frowned, "well that's rude of them, but yes Alexander, you are right. We need to go, now."

Alec nodded and offered out a hand to help the editor up which he took willingly.

Magnus was often pursued by the press, he had moved twice in the past year due to threats arriving at his address after it had been leaked. Twice.   
The security guy cocked his head and looked Magnus over as he stood up and uncrumpled his copper shirt, loose over skinny blue jeans.  
The mans penchant to throw money around made him seem vain and cold in the media but Alec had been in the hospital for two days whilst Magnus had been out of it. Watched him have nightmares and wake up panting for his friends to be okay.  
He had been there when Magnus had hit the ground in the club and had watched him look right over to his friends first.  
And he had been there when his sister got her first big job with a steady pay check and a lot of responsibility, he would never be able to thank Magnus enough for that.

If Alec had anything to do with it, he would be there for a lot more as well.

"My place or yours?" Alec smiled lopsidedly.


	5. White and gray

After stepping out of his cab, Magnus pulled the phone he could feel buzzing away in his pocket and chuckled as three consecutive text messages popped up on the lock screen.  
[Text to: Magnus] Hey Magnus, it's me Alec.  
                            I mean, I know you knew that but I just wanted to say hey.  
                            How are you?

He unlocked his front door and rolled his eyes fondly at the sentiment. The man wandered in and snapped his fingers, causing Chairman meow to run around the corner. Magnus fed the cat and then replied  
[Text to: Angel boy] Darling Alexander. How sweet of you.  
                                I'm fine thank you, shaken by the press but fine. Yourself?  
                                I'm sorry to cut the night short by the way, I would love for you to                                                                                                          come to my place some other time though. I just have someone staying with me at the moment.

The editor bit his bottom lip, it sounded like an excuse and he knew it but with Raphael in a new relationship he wanted his door open to the adopted boy at all times.  
[Text to: Magnus] Oh no! It's fine...  
                            Can I ask who? Girlfriend?

The gray bubble popped up and Magnus almost couldn't stand how adorable the security guard sounded. Was he... Jealous?  
Fuck it, he left the message Alec sent him on read, no doubt sending the other man into a blind panic and opened the messages with his manager.  
[Text to: Powerholder] Darling Isabelle, I don't suppose you're taking care of my brother tonight? x  
                                    If so, may I return the favor? x

He chuckled at his own humour and kicked his boots off, falling onto his navy blue, corded sofa. Then his phone buzzed a few times, almost falling off the glass coffee table he had balanced it on.

[Text to: Magnus] I'm sorry if that came on too strong  
                             You can just ignore me if you want, I'm really just trying to hide from the people in my house.  
                            I'm gonna go back to doing that now...

[Text to: Mags] Go for it Mags, but you A- have to be on a plane for six AM tomorrow, meaning be awake at four. xx  
                        And B- hurt him and I'll kill you, xx  
                        Scratch that, I'll simply quit which will mean your reputation is destroyed. xx

Magnus let out a long whistle and sent back a few thumbs up emojis to Izzy, he then turned his attention back to his sweet, darling Alexander. No no, not his.   
Yet anyway.  
[Text to: Angel boy] Well if you get bored of that, feel free to join me.

He sent Alec his address as well and then turned the tv on, when an hour later there hadn't been a new text on his phone, he contemplated ignoring the buzz on the door. He wandered over to his balcony and peered down, choking on the wine he had taken a sip on when he saw a wet, pacing Alec.   
Magnus watched him for a little while longer than he had meant to- there was something calming about the long strides and heavy boots thumping in time with the rain- and then wandered over, opening the door. The startled thump made him chuckle as he pressed the button to undo the lock on the building entrance. 

The editor was holding onto the one crutch he had been limping around with as he leaned against the door, just as Alec's head appeared at the top of the stairs.

The mans breath hitched audibly when he saw Magnus and the editor couldn't help but preen under his heady stare.

"Magnus," Alec smiled softly and wandered to him, across the long corridor. He stopped a few feet short of the man and the air seemed to fill with a static charge that had Magnus' eyes blurring and world stopping.

"Alexander," he murmured back breathlessly. His eyes ran over Alec's body and God he wanted nothing more than to kiss that neck and chest and taste all those marvellous tattoos he could see. Especially the one on his neck.  
Just as Magnus began to wonder if Alec would moan or growl under such administrations, the man cleared his throat, bringing him back to reality.

A bright pink blush ran all over the tan skin on the guards face, that was when Magnus saw just how bone deep the rain had soaked him. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to hold the man close, he looked...  
Shaken.   
"Please, come in darling, you need a towel and dry clothes." Magnus frowned, pulling him into the house by the very wet sleeve of his very wet hoodie. 

"I wanted to tall to you Magnus," Alec swallowed, looking visibly anxious.   
"About us."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed, not a lot going on this chapter I know. Kinda slow but oh well.  
> Talk to me guys! My tumblr is @youcould-givemethepast
> 
> -LA  
> Xx


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